Ashleigh chats with coach and metabolism expert (and kiteboarding daredevil) Dr. Mike T Nelson about his latest research and coaching work, including a deep dive into metabolic flexibility, sleep hygiene, the differences between good and bad stress, myths around nutrition and training for longevity, and why hibernating bears might have the right idea on healthy living (anyone else want to sign up for the “sleep through winter” health plan?) This one is equal parts fun and educational – hope you enjoy it!    Dr. Mike T. Nelson has spent more than 18 years of his life learning how the human body works, specifically focusing on how to properly condition it to burn fat and become stronger, more flexible, and healthier. He’s has a PhD in Exercise Physiology, a BA in Natural Science, and an MS in Biomechanics. He’s an adjunct professor and a member of the American College of Sports Medicine. He’s been called in to share his techniques with top government agencies. The techniques he’s developed, and the results Mike gets for his clients have been featured in international magazines, in scientific publications, and on websites across the globe.      Minute Breakdown:    4 - 15 Intro to Mike and his passion for kiteboarding and foil boarding, and a discussion of fun and dangerous sports in general      15 –  19 Mike’s approach to coaching: a focus on time-tested fundamentals and research-backed information, with an open mind to “newer” concepts like red light therapy. Why it’s great to explore and play with ideas but while keeping scientifically-backed and solid principles as your foundation (ie, no such thing as shortcuts!)     19 –27  We talk about his new chilly pad for his bed and research on temperature as it relates to sleep quality; connecting this research to his totally normal hobby researching hibernating bears, and  how they can sleep, fast, and lose fat without losing muscle      27 – 34 We talk about the “training and eating for performance vs longevity” discussion, and why Mike rejects the notion that these two goals must be mutually exclusive. Why factors like muscle mass, aerobic capacity, and grip strength are better indicators of longevity than chronic calorie restriction (thank goodness)      34 – 55 A deep dive into the concept of metabolic flexibility: what it is and why it’s useful; why keto may not necessarily be the best tool to make you metabolically flexible;  why reasonable fasting may achieve the same results in a more sustainable way; and why you don’t have to get rid of carbs entirely and deal with nasty keto flu transitions to benefit from metabolic flexibility    55 – 59 Talking stress and inflammation, and the differences between good stress (eustress) and bad stress (distress)     59 – 1:03 How Mike quantifies health benchmarks and progress with clients, and why a healthy mix of data and experimentation can encourage anti-fragility    1:03 -  I ask Mike about his FlexDiet certification       Learn more at miketnelson.com, and say hi to Mike on Twitter @miketnelson or Instagram @drmiketnelson    Reach out to me on Instagram @themusclemaven to say hi and tell me what you thought of the podcast, head to ashleighvanhouten.com to sign up for my weekly health and fitness newsletter, and if you enjoyed the episode please share on social media and leave me a nice rating and review on iTunes!    Learn more about Beekeeper’s Naturals and their raw, enzymatic honey products – including a delicious cognitive enhancing nootropic and a honey + hemp product, and how they can support your mental and physical performance: head to www.beekeepersnaturals.com/musclemaven and use the code MUSCLEMAVEN at checkout for a 15% discount!     Subscribe to Butcher Box and get grass-fed and free range meat delivered directly to your door each month - choose from one of their boxes or customize your own, and because you're cutting out the middle-man (the grocery stores) you get super high quality meat at a lower price. They’re offering a new gift for our listeners: TWO POUNDS of ground beef and two packs of bacon + $20 off your order by going to  butcherbox.com/maven or using code MAVEN at checkout!    ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Show notes: http://www.shruggedcollective.com/mmr-nelson ----------------------------------------------------------------------   ► Subscribe to Shrugged Collective's Channel Here http://bit.ly/BarbellShruggedSubscribe 📲 🎧 Listen to the audio version on the Apple Podcast App or Stitcher for Android Here- http://bit.ly/BarbellShruggedApple http://bit.ly/BarbellShruggedStitcher Shrugged Collective is a network of fitness, health and performance shows that help people achieve their physical and mental health goals.  Usually in the gym, but outside as well. In 2012 they posted their first Barbell Shrugged podcast and have been putting out weekly free videos and podcasts ever since. Along the way we've created successful online coaching programs including The Shrugged Strength Challenge, The Muscle Gain Challenge, FLIGHT, Barbell Shredded, and Barbell Bikini. We're also dedicated to helping affiliate gym owners grow their businesses and better serve their members by providing owners tools and resources like the Barbell Business Podcast. Find Shrugged Collective and their flagship show Barbell Shrugged here: SUBSCRIBE ON ITUNES ► http://bit.ly/ShruggedCollectiveiTunes WEBSITE ► https://www.ShruggedCollective.com INSTAGRAM ► https://instagram.com/shruggedcollective FACEBOOK ► https://facebook.com/barbellshruggedpodcast TWITTER ► http://twitter.com/barbellshrugged

John Swanson is the founder and CEO of The Granite Games, owner of Fast Factory Fitness, and owner of Factory Forged.  The goal of The Granite Games is to create a platform that allows all levels and ages to chase their athletic dreams. Our event gives athletes of every skill level the opportunity to compete and have their own professional athlete experience. Each element of this experience is carefully crafted to create a lasting impression. Everything from the athlete’s personalized name tag to the design of the competition floor all play a critical role in this experience. In this episode of Barbell Shrugged, the crew catches John Swanson weeks before the sale of the Granite Games to Loud and Live. Swanson is not only the CEO of the Granite Games but the owner of Fast Factory, a gym in St Cloud, MN and Factory Forged, and online gym consulting business for CrossFit affiliate owners. Minute Breakdown: 0-10 – How to Run a Competition the Size of the Granite Games on a 9 months schedule. 11-20 – Coaches walking the walk before coaching others 21-30 – Why you should not sell memberships based on athletes using the facility 31-40 - Did you ever think about ending the Granite Games 41 -50 - Creating a long term solution for the Granite Games 51 -60 - Creating sanctions with major events throughout the year  John Swanson on Instagram Anders Varner on Instagram Doug Larson on Instagram Please Support Our Sponsors Savage Barbell Apparel - Save 25% on your first order using the code “SHRUGGED” Organifi - Save 20% using code: “Shrugged” at organifi.com/shrugged WHOOP - Save $30 on 12 or 18 month membership plan using code “SHRUGGED” at checkout One Ton Challenge Weekend August 1st - 4th Find your 1rm in the snatch, clean, jerk, squat, dead, bench.  Add them up to find your One Ton Total.  The goal is 2,000 pounds for men and 1,200 for women.  4 days. 6 lifts. 1 goal. 1 Ton.  http://live.onetonchallenge.com “What is the One Ton Challenge” “How Strong is Strong Enough” “How do I Start the One Ton Challenge”

Jeremy at one point lived a life most people can only dream of. I mean, come on. He grew up on the set of the most popular TV show in the universe, surrounded by hot babes all day long, and got paid millions of dollars to do it! That kind of fame, however—especially when it comes at a young age—can have a dark side.    In this episode, we touch on a few of his most life altering moments and how health and fitness plays a role in all of it.    Spoiler alert... We talk about stabbing people in the first 5 minutes. Hold on to your seat because it’s going to be a bumpy ride! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Show notes: http://www.shruggedcollective.com/rc-jackson ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ► Subscribe to Shrugged Collective's Channel Here http://bit.ly/BarbellShruggedSubscribe 📲 🎧 Listen to the audio version on the Apple Podcast App or Stitcher for Android Here- http://bit.ly/BarbellShruggedApple http://bit.ly/BarbellShruggedStitcher Shrugged Collective is a network of fitness, health and performance shows that help people achieve their physical and mental health goals.  Usually in the gym, but outside as well. In 2012 they posted their first Barbell Shrugged podcast and have been putting out weekly free videos and podcasts ever since. Along the way we've created successful online coaching programs including The Shrugged Strength Challenge, The Muscle Gain Challenge, FLIGHT, Barbell Shredded, and Barbell Bikini. We're also dedicated to helping affiliate gym owners grow their businesses and better serve their members by providing owners tools and resources like the Barbell Business Podcast. Find Shrugged Collective and their flagship show Barbell Shrugged here: SUBSCRIBE ON ITUNES ► http://bit.ly/ShruggedCollectiveiTunes WEBSITE ► https://www.ShruggedCollective.com INSTAGRAM ► https://instagram.com/shruggedcollective FACEBOOK ► https://facebook.com/ barbellshruggedpodcast TWITTER ► http://twitter.com/barbellshrugged

JP owns and operates BRICK Fitness Co. Established in West Hollywood, LA. in 2010, BRICK rapidly expanded to tier one cities such as New York, Chicago and Boston. Applying a replicable, scalable and proven business model, JP has grown the company to license partners throughout the U.S. and several international partnerships.    JP got his start in membership-based business over 20 years ago after a decorated amateur and professional fight career. JP transferred his extensive athletic triumphs into teaching martial arts and soon thereafter opened his own commercial kickboxing training facilities. He quickly grew into one of the youngest multiple-school location owners in the U.S. Due to his great success in building strong communities and staff; he was sought after by some of the most esteemed Martial Arts academies. With a growing family of nieces and nephews Perelmutter was compelled to move back West. He sold his locations to the managers he had groomed and developed, of which still exist to this day.    Upon returning to Los Angeles, JP dove into the sport of functional fitness, a training methodology he had dabbled in during previous fight training. Instantly he had a newfound love. With a respectable run in competitive CrossFit JP was able to compete at the regional level as well as be one of the few to make it to the CrossFit Games several times over. Meanwhile his entrepreneurial spirit immediately saw an opportunity and hole in the functional fitness space. Using his tested and proven membership based business model he founded BRICK.    JP has a passion for sharing his business savvy methods to inspire, motivate and guide people to a healthier and wealthier way of life. His worldwide training and business endeavors has allowed him to gather an arsenal of powerful knowledge, teaching tools, and talents, which he has utilized to create a dynamic environment for his team and the communities he’s built. In the past JP has teamed up with Jason Khalipia to hold Box to Business seminars aimed at counseling fitness business owners to develop their business to its potential. JP aspires to share his experience and knowledge with other affiliates since he lives by the mantra “rising tides raise all boats”.    JP continues on his never ending quest of excellence while searching new opportunities to expand the BRICK landscape and provide great career growth for his professional team of which he considers family.    Brief Summary:    Absolute fire is being dropped this morning. Today Jason and JP discuss the five R’s for increasing revenue: Referrals, Reactivation, Renewals, Retail, and Retention. These tools are applicable and easily executable by gym owners of any caliber. If you’re trying to increase profit, build your business, community, and yourself—you don’t want to miss this.    Minute Breakdown:    0-10 – How to Get Better at Asking for Referrals  10-20 – Reactivation and the “Second Chance Dance”  20-30 – Renewing Members Everyday   30-40 – Retail: The More They Buy the More They Buy-in  40-50 – Retention and Building Rapport    Get in touch with JP: jp@brick.fit  Find Jason at @jasonkhalipa  Work with Jason and the NCFIT Collective Crew at ncfitcollective.fit 

Kelly Starrett is a coach, physical therapist, author, speaker, and creator of this blog, which has revolutionized how athletes think about human movement and athletic performance. He teaches the wildly popular Crossfit Movement & Mobility Trainer course and has been a guest lecturer at the American Physical Therapy Association annual convention, Google, the Perform Better Summit, the Special Operations Medical Association annual conference, police departments, and elite military groups nationwide. Coach Kelly Starrett received his Doctor of Physical Therapy in 2007 from Samuel Merritt College in Oakland, California.   Minute Breakdown:   0-10 – Travis story recovering from hip replacement  11-20 – Systems that help beginners and world champions 21-30 – You dont know what is happening in your athletes life when you see single movements 31-40 - Fixing knees in when squatting 41 -50 - Spinal flexion in training scenarios 51 -60 - Fixing elbow position in overhead position   Kelly Starrett on Instagram   Travis Mash on Instagram   Please Support Our Sponsors   Savage Barbell Apparel - Save 25% on your first order using the code “BARLIFE”   Organifi - Save 20% using code: “Shrugged” at organifi.com/shrugged   One Ton Challenge Weekend   August 1st - 4th   Find your 1rm in the snatch, clean, jerk, squat, dead, bench.    Add them up to find your One Ton Total.    The goal is 2,000 pounds for men and 1,200 for women.    4 days. 6 lifts. 1 goal. 1 Ton.    http://live.onetonchallenge.com   “What is the One Ton Challenge”   “How Strong is Strong Enough”   “How do I Start the One Ton Challenge”   --------------------------------------------------- Show notes: https://shruggedcollective.com/tbl-starrett ---------------------------------------------------   ► Travel thru Europe with us on the  Shrugged Voyage, more info here: https://www.theshruggedvoyage.com/ ► What is the Shrugged Collective?  Click below for more info: https://youtu.be/iUELlwmn57o ► Subscribe to Shrugged Collective's Channel Here http://bit.ly/BarbellShruggedSubscribe 📲 🎧 Listen to the audio version on the Apple Podcast App or Stitcher for Android Here- http://bit.ly/BarbellShruggedApple http://bit.ly/BarbellShruggedStitcher Shrugged Collective is a network of fitness, health and performance shows that help people achieve their physical and mental health goals.  Usually in the gym, but outside as well. In 2012 they posted their first Barbell Shrugged podcast and have been putting out weekly free videos and podcasts ever since. Along the way we've created successful online coaching programs including The Shrugged Strength Challenge, The Muscle Gain Challenge, FLIGHT, Barbell Shredded, and Barbell Bikini. We're also dedicated to helping affiliate gym owners grow their businesses and better serve their members by providing owners tools and resources like the Barbell Business Podcast. Find Shrugged Collective and their flagship show Barbell Shrugged here: SUBSCRIBE ON ITUNES ► http://bit.ly/ShruggedCollectiveiTunes WEBSITE ► https://www.ShruggedCollective.com INSTAGRAM ► https://instagram.com/shruggedcollective FACEBOOK ► https://facebook.com/barbellshruggedpodcast TWITTER ► http://twitter.com/barbellshrugged

Larry Gaier is a personal trainer who was standout intern at Active Life HQ (when there was an Active Life HQ). He is the best communicator on staff at Active Life and his intensity of capacity for empathy is the reason why he gets assigned the clients he does.    In this episode, Dr. Sean and Active Life 1 on 1 staff member, Larry Gaier discuss a client who had some physical pain that was extremely fear based. If you have ever heard “it’s in your head” and thought that this suggestion was offensive, you need to listen to this episode. Any time that a coach tells a client or a doctor tells a patient “it’s in your head” when you know you can feel it in your body, it’s frustrating to hear. In this episode we talk about how they’re directly related, and how it should be communicated.    Minute Breakdown:   0-10 - There was more fear than pain. 11-20 - When you change your physiology you will change your habits. 21-30 - What is an athlete? 31-40 - Communication is the key. 41-50 - Setting boundaries with your coach or client.  Work with an Active Life Coach like Larry at http://activeliferx.com/shrugged Find Larry at @Larry_TheHuman  

Can high intensity athletes benefit and thrive on a ketogenic diet? That’s what we’re trying to figure out in today’s conversation with Rachel Gregory, a Board-Certified Nutrition Specialist, Athletic Trainer, Strength and Conditioning Specialist who completed the first ever human clinical trial looking at the effects of the Ketogenic Diet in CrossFit athletes, published in the International Journal of Sports and Exercise Medicine. She has worked with a variety of athletes including Division I collegiate athletes, WNBA stars, and some of the top bodybuilders in the world. Ashleigh and Rachel chat about when and why it might be beneficial to incorporate a keto diet in training; when it may not be beneficial; the biggest mistakes athletes make when attempting a keto diet; how to incorporate carb or protein cycling; and Ashleigh (a carb fan) attempts to play devil’s advocate, posing the question: maybe athletes can be keto, but should we? All that and more in today’s episode.    Rachel Gregory is a Board-Certified Nutrition Specialist, Athletic Trainer, Strength and Conditioning Specialist, and Author of the best-selling book, 21-Day Ketogenic Diet Weight Loss Challenge. She received her Master’s Degree in Nutrition & Exercise Physiology from James Madison University and Bachelor’s Degree in Sports Medicine from the University of Miami. Rachel has a vast knowledge on the science and application of the Ketogenic Diet for weight loss, performance, and overall health. She completed the first ever human clinical trial looking at the effects of the Ketogenic Diet in CrossFit athletes, which is published in the  International Journal of Sports and Exercise Medicine. Rachel is a former Collegiate Triathlete with a background in Functional Strength Training and CrossFit. She has worked with a variety of individuals throughout her career that include Division I collegiate athletes, WNBA stars, and some of the top bodybuilders in the world. She has a passion for educating those interested in optimizing their physical and mental well-being while improving long-term health and fitness goals.     MinuteBreakdown: 4-14 Intro to Rachel, her work, and her academic research in the effects of keto diet on athletes 14 – 29  Mistakes and misconceptions people make trying keto for the first time; how to figure out macros; protein cycling and fasting; how to adjust these things based on what your goals, whether it’s performance, treating disease, cognitive function, or body composition improvement. 29 - 33  What it means to be fat adapted; The benefits of tracking macros and determining what your maintenance calories are 33 - 42  Rachel walks us through her clinical trial on ketogenic diets and CrossFit athletes, including results  42 – 48 A discussion on the different approaches and key things to pay attention to regarding female athletes and the ketogenic diet  48 – 54 Why Rachel thinks everyone should at least try keto; what you can learn about yourself and your needs through a trial experiment 54 – 58 why salt and electrolytes are key on a ketogenic diet 58 – Even if we can do keto and train intensely, should we? A look at the other benefits of a keto diet besides physical performance    Learn more about Rachel and her programs at killinitketo.com and @killinitketo.   Subscribe to Butcher Box and get grass-fed and free range meat delivered directly to your door each month - choose from one of their boxes or customize your own, and because you're cutting out the middle-man (the grocery stores) you get super high quality meat at a lower price. For our listeners, you get 20$ off your first box plus a FREE pack of grassfed and finished burgers! Just head to butcherbox.com and use the code MAVEN at checkout   ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Show notes: http://www.shruggedcollective.com/mmr-keto ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ► Subscribe to Shrugged Collective's Channel Here http://bit.ly/BarbellShruggedSubscribe 📲 🎧 Listen to the audio version on the Apple Podcast App or Stitcher for Android Here- http://bit.ly/BarbellShruggedApple http://bit.ly/BarbellShruggedStitcher Shrugged Collective is a network of fitness, health and performance shows that help people achieve their physical and mental health goals.  Usually in the gym, but outside as well. In 2012 they posted their first Barbell Shrugged podcast and have been putting out weekly free videos and podcasts ever since. Along the way we've created successful online coaching programs including The Shrugged Strength Challenge, The Muscle Gain Challenge, FLIGHT, Barbell Shredded, and Barbell Bikini. We're also dedicated to helping affiliate gym owners grow their businesses and better serve their members by providing owners tools and resources like the Barbell Business Podcast. Find Shrugged Collective and their flagship show Barbell Shrugged here: SUBSCRIBE ON ITUNES ► http://bit.ly/ShruggedCollectiveiTunes WEBSITE ► https://www.ShruggedCollective.com INSTAGRAM ► https://instagram.com/shruggedcollective FACEBOOK ► https://facebook.com/barbellshruggedpodcast TWITTER ► http://twitter.com/barbellshrugged

Alessandra Pichelli was born in Montreal, Quebec. At age 2, her family moved to Bahrain in the Middle East and spent a few years there. Her family then moved to Yokohama, Japan where Alessandra attended St Maur International School. By age 8, Alessandra returned to Canada and grew up in Welland, Ontario. She remained in Canada through her highschool rowing career, which led her to a full scholarship to Saint Mary's College of California. It was during her final year of collegiate rowing that her coach, Nicole Young, introduced her to the sport of CrossFit.    Since then Alessandra has consecutively competed in the Reebok CrossFit Games for eight years; her best finish was during her rookie year in 2013 when she finished 4th.    In this episode of Barbell Shrugged, the crew breaks down what it takes to be an 8 time CrossFit Games Athlete, the training, nutrition, lifestyle, and how she has maintained her competitiveness with the competition getting harder and harder every year.   Minute Breakdown:   0-10 – Learning from your mistakes every year to compete at the highest level  11-20 – How do you peak with so many events in a CrossFit season 21-30 – Questioning your why each year and finding motivation to push forward 31-40 - Is the spectrum of talent going to be lower at the Games than in years past 41 -50 - Training vs. working out 51 -60 - Sealfit to build mental and emotional capacity in games training   Alessandra Pichelli on Instagram   Anders Varner on Instagram Doug Larson on Instagram --------------------------------------- Please Support Our Sponsors   Savage Barbell Apparel - Save 25% on your first order using the code “Shrugged”   Organifi - Save 20% using code: “Shrugged” at organifi.com/shrugged   WHOOP - Save $30 off a 12 or 18 month subscription using code: “Shrugged” at whoop.com ----------------------------------------- One Ton Challenge Weekend   August 1st - 4th   Find your 1rm in the snatch, clean, jerk, squat, dead, bench.    Add them up to find your One Ton Total.    The goal is 2,000 pounds for men and 1,200 for women.    4 days. 6 lifts. 1 goal. 1 Ton.    http://live.onetonchallenge.com   “What is the One Ton Challenge”   “How Strong is Strong Enough”   “How do I Start the One Ton Challenge” ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Show notes at: http://www.shruggedcollective.com/bbs-pichelli -----------------------------------------------------------------------   ► Subscribe to Barbell Shrugged's Channel Here ► Subscribe to Shrugged Collective's Channel Here http://bit.ly/BarbellShruggedSubscribe 📲 🎧 Listen to the audio version on the Apple Podcast App or Stitcher for Android Here- http://bit.ly/BarbellShruggedApple http://bit.ly/BarbellShruggedStitcher Shrugged Collective is a network of fitness, health and performance shows that help people achieve their physical and mental health goals.  Usually in the gym, but outside as well. In 2012 they posted their first Barbell Shrugged podcast and have been putting out weekly free videos and podcasts ever since. Along the way we've created successful online coaching programs including The Shrugged Strength Challenge, The Muscle Gain Challenge, FLIGHT, Barbell Shredded, and Barbell Bikini. We're also dedicated to helping affiliate gym owners grow their businesses and better serve their members by providing owners tools and resources like the Barbell Business Podcast. Find Shrugged Collective and their flagship show Barbell Shrugged here: SUBSCRIBE ON ITUNES ► http://bit.ly/ShruggedCollectiveiTunes WEBSITE ► https://www.ShruggedCollective.com INSTAGRAM ► https://instagram.com/shruggedcollective FACEBOOK ► https://facebook.com/barbellshruggedpodcast TWITTER ► http://twitter.com/barbellshrugged

Dave Meltzer is the CEO of Sports 1 Marketing, a Forbes “Top 10 Keynote Speaker“, award-winning humanitarian, the host of entrepreneur magazines podcast called, “The Playbook,” and two-time national best-selling author, with 25 years of experience as an entrepreneur.    I mean you name it and this man has done it. Not only is this one of the biggest names we’ve ever had on the show, but he drops some knowledge and little breadcrumbs that we’ve never tasted in any other podcast before.    He reminds me so much of Gary Vhee’s style, that I just thought I’d just dub him the “Gary Vhee of the West.” Get ready to get fired up for the week! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Show notes: http://www.shruggedcollective.com/rc-meltzer ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ► Subscribe to Shrugged Collective's Channel Here http://bit.ly/BarbellShruggedSubscribe 📲 🎧 Listen to the audio version on the Apple Podcast App or Stitcher for Android Here- http://bit.ly/BarbellShruggedApple http://bit.ly/BarbellShruggedStitcher Shrugged Collective is a network of fitness, health and performance shows that help people achieve their physical and mental health goals.  Usually in the gym, but outside as well. In 2012 they posted their first Barbell Shrugged podcast and have been putting out weekly free videos and podcasts ever since. Along the way we've created successful online coaching programs including The Shrugged Strength Challenge, The Muscle Gain Challenge, FLIGHT, Barbell Shredded, and Barbell Bikini. We're also dedicated to helping affiliate gym owners grow their businesses and better serve their members by providing owners tools and resources like the Barbell Business Podcast. Find Shrugged Collective and their flagship show Barbell Shrugged here: SUBSCRIBE ON ITUNES ► http://bit.ly/ShruggedCollectiveiTunes WEBSITE ► https://www.ShruggedCollective.com INSTAGRAM ► https://instagram.com/shruggedcollective FACEBOOK ► https://facebook.com/ barbellshruggedpodcast TWITTER ► http://twitter.com/barbellshrugged

As General Manager of The Resort at Pedregal, Fernando Flores brings more than 18 years of hospitality experience to the award-winning property. In his role, Flores is responsible for continuing the success of the prestigious resort while cultivating both domestic and international relationships with guests, colleagues and owners. From achieving financial results and implementation of capital expense projects and focusing on maintaining an efficient and profitable function of the day-to-day operations on property, to providing exceptional guest service and satisfaction property-wide, Flores has made an impact at the resort for over a decade.      Since joining the team in 2008 as Assistant Director of Food & Beverage, his innovative, fresh ideas and determination have enabled him to quickly excel through the ranks, holding various positions at the resort including Director of Food & Beverage, Director of Rooms and Resort Manager. Flores’ multifaceted experience and familiarity with The Resort at Pedregal paired with his compassionate leadership skills allow him to further enhance the resort’s undisputed benchmark for providing the very finest in luxury hospitality and guest satisfaction. During his tenure, The Resort at Pedregal has been named the No. 1 Resort in Mexico by Travel + Leisure three times since the grand opening, was awarded the coveted Forbes Five-Star achievement for both the hotel and spa, and is consistently in the top 5 Resorts in Mexico (Western) in Condé Nast Traveler.     Flores earned a Bachelor of Applied Science degree in Biomedical and Medical Engineering from the Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara.    To say the Resort at Pedregal is phenomenal would be an understatement. The five-star resort is ranked by Forbes, TripAdvisor, and received Travel Leisure’s World’s Best Awards making it’s resume speak for itself. In today’s episode, Jason and Fernando discuss how reaching this degree of service and notoriety was possible. Through creating and maintaining a service culture rooted in harvesting meaningful connections and positive impact, The Resort at Pedregal is second to none when it comes to the service industry. With over a decade of experience, Fernando provides insight and takeaways for any business owner in today’s show. Enjoy!    Minute Breakdown:    0-5 – Getting Started in Customer Service Industry  5-10 – Creating and Maintaining Quality  10-15 – Rebranding: Communicating Mission and Vision  15-20 – Identifying Talent and Onboarding Process  20-25 – Making Your Team Gameday Ready   25-30 –Refining and Practicing Standards: Creating Alignment    Check out The Resort at Pedregal here: www.theresortatpedregal.com  Find The Resort at Pedregal at @resortatpedregal  Find Jason at @jasonkhalipa  Keep up with Jason’s latest project at: www.ncfitcollective.fit